Vampire Hunter D: Bane of Scarlet
by Keizer Xilian
Summary: D investigates the rumors of a Noble vampire living in a hidden forest castle. At the same time he is forced to deal with Marus Drachel, another dhampir with a lust for murder and blood...
1. 1: A Dhampir's Bloody Walz

Her body was light, it would snap easily in the beast's arms. The girl struggled as the ape-like monstrosity pulled her back up the cliff she tried to descend, using the rope she had harnessed to herself to help. She would make a good meal, just like the others. It began to salivate at the thought, venomous drops of its drool hissing as they splashed on the moonlight soil. It almost had her, just a little bit more…

The beast shrieked in pain, letting the rope drop as it felt the blade of an axe embed itself within its back. As she fell the girl screamed too, certain she would fall to the rocks below. She was lucky, the rope held fast. The beast would have to remember to come back for her after dealing with the other.

The brown furred ape-man turned face, staring down at another human, a male, as it tried to back away. Before he could escape, the monster grabbed it by the waste, lifting the human's face to meet with his. The man would make a good appetizer. With a roar it opened its enormous maw, taking half the man's skull into it, razor teeth slicing through the flesh. Trickles of sweet blood ran onto the monster's tongue, and it savored the taste of the squealing human before finishing it off. With a wet crunch the monster smashed the human's head within its maw, turning back to hoist the woman back up.

Something was wrong. The beast looked around, its eyes reflecting the moonlight as its head turned. It sniffed the air as it searched for the girl, trying to find where she could have disappeared. A scent resembling the woman's quickly reached its nostrils, and it began to follow. Soon it would have its meal, soon the woman would…

The beast let out yet another cry of pain as another weapon lodged itself in its flesh. It grabbed at its arm, trying to wrench out the quarter-moon shaped sickle it saw there. No sooner had it removed the blade than another one appeared in its leg. Something was hiding, attacking it. It had to be killed.

The beast tried to follow the chains that the sickles were linked to back to their source, but nothing was there. It sniffed the air once again, trying to catch a scent that didn't belong. It was there…somewhere…hiding. It continued to try and detect the scent of the attacker. Yes…there it was…the trail of the scent headed north. The beast turned in that direction and stopped with a gurgled grunt. The three blades that struck the beast retracted back into the darkness, and its vision began to split two ways before it went dark with the coldness of death.

The guardsmen of the small town raised their rifles as the strange man appeared before them. In the blackness of this night, the stranger's dark attire was a sign that he wanted to go undetected as he moved, but then why would he be heading directly into a clearly light portion of the fortified home of the village chief?

"Halt stranger! What is your business at this place?" one of the guards asked.

The stranger stopped, just out of clear view of the riflemen, remaining a black silhouette against the dim lights of the tiny village. When the stranger began to move, many of the men prepared to fire their guns. After they saw what he carried, however, they halted. With a heavy thud, the head of the ape demon that plagued their town landed in the middle of the courtyard…well, half of it anyway.

"The demon that has plagued your town is now dead. I will collect payment for my deed," he said.

One of the riflemen, the one that spoke to him from the start, moved out into the courtyard to examine the head that was presented to them. It was indeed the demon that had been attacking the town. He turned and gave an order to one of the other men to call the chief. Within moments, the chief was present and began to examine the dead thing himself.

"Well it seems that we are indeed in your debt," the old chief began, "however, our village is poor because of this creature. I am sorry, but there is nothing that we can give you in return for your service."

"I see," the stranger said as he began to step forth into the light. "I suppose that you will just have to pay with your lives then."

"What? Now wait just a minu-"

The chief's words were cut as one of the chained blades sliced through his throat. With a gurgle, he fell to the ground in a pool of thick crimson. The riflemen looked on in sheer disbelief at what had transpired before their eyes. The stranger began to walk forward, the chain of his weapon clinking as it retracted back towards him. As the stranger stepped into the light, they opened fire.

The blasting sounds of their rifles filled the night sky as the fired volley after volley, and the strange man continued into the courtyard, a heavy, dark robe hiding his face and body. Shot after shot was fired, but no matter what they did, no one could seem to hit the stranger, the bullets passing right through his body with no effect at all. When he reached they dead body of the chief, he finally stopped, and the commander, after seeing the futility of his men's weapons, called for them to hold fire.

"What is it that you want from us?" he asked.

The strangers eyes, each a fiery reddish orange, narrowed. "Your life," he replied as one of the sickles shot forth from the stranger's robes into the commander's chest.

"Who…who are you?"

"My name is Marus, and I am the hand of Death."

With a wave of his arms, Marus threw back his cloak. Instantly, all six of the chained sickles strapped to him shot forth, tearing the commander before him into ribbons of bloody flesh. Sprays of thick crimson and scarlet shot forth from the body of the commander, splattering across the midnight blue tunic and gray trousers he wore above the black bodysuit that adhered to his slender form.

Guns fired at him from every direction, but the human's weapons were no match for Marus' speed and the speed of the chains that snaked and arched to deflect the bullets that came close to striking him. With the force of his will, Marus sent the blades at the other guards along the poorly fortified walls of the town. 'A massacre tonight,' he said inwardly. Beneath his hood, a sadistic grin crossed Marus' face as he began to leave the village, sickles cleaving through any and every living thing.

The sun began to rise the next morning, and D was, as always, on the move. He rode through the forest atop his cyborg horse, searching, once again, for a way to make use of his talents. He had heard rumors that one of the Nobility was living in a hidden castle inside the forest, and sought to find if these rumors were true. A stroke of bad luck had, unfortunately, crossed him when he found the people of the forest village slaughtered. The parasite in his left hand was none too helpful with the presence of so much blood either, constantly taunting D to go ahead and take a taste, even though it was clear that the people there were at least two days dead.

Blood wasn't his concern at the time though, information was. D squinted in the direction of the sun, brushing a strand of his flowing brown hair out from his eyes and lowering his brimmed hat a bit to help shield its rays.

"Ah, looks like its gonna be another warm day, isn't that right D?" the parasite said, the question more a statement than an actual question. D remained silent and began moving along the trail before him. After a couple more hours of riding, a town finally appeared before them. Perhaps now he could find out of the stories of a vampires presence were true.


	2. 2: Noble Witch of Heat and Flame

D rode through the unusual heat, feeling the effects of heat exhaustion on his body. As the midday sun shone through the canopy of the tall pines, D decided he needed to take time for a rest. The day was unusually hot after all, and D couldn't ride much further without risking the consequences heat exhaustion, something he could not afford to leave to chance. With a quiet sigh, D tied the black cyborg horse to a low branch within a hollowed pine.

"It's hot today, isn't it?" Left Hand said, his voice being muffled by D's enclosed fist. D didn't answer, already starting to drift into a light sleep. "Yeah, it's warm out, particularly for a forest like this. You know, rest isn't the _only_ option you have to regain your energy."

Left Hand chuckled at his taunts. He knew, as well as anyone else, that dhampir's had the same thirst for blood that the Nobility had. Taunting D with it was just another perk of being part of the powerful vampire hunter.

"Come on, I know what you're thinking…what your feeling right now. It wouldn't be hard, the town is only a little ways up the road."

D opened his eyes slightly, looking down at his hand. "No," he replied, emotionless as usual.

"Oh come now, D, think about it. It would be easy for you, even in this light. Why not go? You need sustenance; you've been traveling for two days straight. All that blood, it's just what you need."

Left Hand chuckled again, waiting for D to reply. However, a reply didn't come.

"D? D, are you listening?"

Left Hand waited, his only reply the light breathing of D's sleep.

"Hmph, just great. So much for that conversation," Left Hand said. "I guess I might as well get some sleep too."

When D awoke night had already fallen. His eyes were still focusing in the dimmed light, but his dhampir eyes were able to adjust rapidly. As his awareness arose, he felt something tapping on his chest. He recognized it as the familiar feeling of his left hand, balled into a fist.

"D, wake up!"

"What?"

"There's something going on outside! It sounds as if someone is being attacked."

D stood, listening to the sounds in the air. It did sound as if someone was being attacked, and it seemed as if it was a woman. D quickly untied his horse and took his sword in hand, riding in the direction of the sounds he had heard. Lower branches would occasionally swipe across D's body, but the bodysuit he wore, along with his enhanced resilience, made it so the scratches went unnoticed.

Eventually he found an opening in the trees. The small meadow held a blue-gray look in the light of the full moon, a sharp contrast to the thick greens, yellows and whites it would have held during the day. As he rode through the meadow, he had to force his horse to a halt as the woman he heard ran in front of him. With a scream she fell to the ground, the horse rearing back on its hind legs.

D quickly calmed the horse, dismounting to help the girl to her feet. She was young, no older than 17 he surmised, and had short cut ebony hair. Her eyes, a deep blue, glistened with frightful tears in the moonlight. She wore a short dress, tattered from her flight through the woods from whatever it was that chased after her.

The girl looked up at him, her eyes catching the sword on his back. "Oh please kind sir, would you be a hunter?"

"I am," D replied. "I came after hearing rumors of a Noble in this area. Tell me, what was it that attacked you?"

"Thank goodness, you are a vampire hunter. I was attacked by the very Noble you speak of. I was heading back to my uncles home after picking herbs for his medicines. He is the doctor of Vallaya, the town to the east of here."

"Where is the Noble now?"

"I don't know. The last that I saw of her, she was behind me. I ran the moment I saw her and…"

The girls words were cut short, her eyes growing wide as she looked up at D. No… she was not looking up at him, she was looking above him. D spun around quickly, grabbing the hilt of his sword, prepared to draw. The Noble was there, standing on one of the branches of a nearby tree.

"So you've finally come, Hunter D," she said.

D unsheathed his sword, the silvered steel ringing as it slid forth from its sheath. Even in the dim light, he could see a smile cross the beautiful Noble's face. "Return to your town and warn the others," D said, his voice still as calm as always. "Tell your chief that I will kill the Noble for them if they should decide to hire me."

The Noble woman chuckled as D spoke. "You have much confidence, Hunter, but do you truly believe that you can kill a Noble so easily?"

D didn't speak, instead using his actions as his answer. He leapt up at the vampire, striking at her with speed like lightning. The Noble was fast though, and D's swing missed, cutting through the trunk of the tree instead and removing the branch that the Noble was standing on.

"Come now, dhampir," she said, "Surely you can do better than that."

D jumped back down to the forest floor below. "What is it that you want with the people of this town?" he asked.

"You should know, dhampir. Aside from the worthless human blood you hold, our own blood also runs through your veins."

"Then you are no different from the other vampires."

"Silly little dhampir. You assume that my thirst is the reason for my actions? You fool, the Nobility was meant to rule this world and I shall make it so once more."

D had heard enough. With lightning speed he sprung forth, the steel of his blade ringing through the air as it collided with the Noble. But for some reason, she didn't move. She just stood there, smiling. It was then that D noticed that the light around them had changed. Fire had been wreathed around her left arm and acted as a shield against the blade. With a laugh she shoved his sword aside, raising her right hand to meet with his chest.

"Face the fires of hell, dhampir," she said. D shot back, colliding with one of the trees behind him as the blast of heat and flame collided with his chest. Before he could even react, the Noble had D by the neck, pinned against the tree.

"Still think that you can kill me, dhampir?" she asked, her grip tightening.

D's vision was fading. This vampire was stronger than most he had fought, and for a moment he actually thought he might die. 'Damn, this isn't good.'

Suddenly the grip of the Noble was broken. As his eyes regained focus and air refilled his lungs he could see flashes of metal fly through the air past his face, flying towards the Noble. As she sprang back, he heard her utter a quiet "damn," dodging the flashes of steel he saw in the air. When D finally got to his feet, he saw the Noble leap back into the trees.

"So it seems I have two dhampirs to contend with," she said. "Very well then. D, I look forward to the time when we meet again."

Before D could pursue the Noble disappeared into the night. "Two dhampirs," he said to himself, wondering just what she meant. He decided to save it for another time, turning to mount his horse and head towards the town. When a sickle flew past his head and landed in the tree next to him, however, D stopped, turning to face what he knew had to be the other dhampir the Noble spoke of.

"An interesting turn of events," the robed dhampir said. "So you are the famous vampire hunter they call D."

"I am. And you are?"

"My name is Marus Drachel, and as the Noble said, I too am a dhampir."

Marus retracted the chained sickle back into his cloak and began to head back into the forest. Before leaving the meadow, he stopped, looking back towards D. "It seems that we both have the same goal, but I will warn you now, stay out of my way." Marus turned and headed through the trees, calling back to D one more time. "Interfere with me D, and I will kill you."

D watched the strange dhampir as he left the meadow and mounted his horse. With a click of his tongue and I flick of the reigns he moved in the direction of the town.

"Well, he seemed like a friendly one huh?" Left Hand said. "Marus Drachel huh? I don't know about this one D, best to stay out of his way, you think? I mean, no sense taking any unnecessary risks, you know?"

Again, D didn't answer. Trouble seemed to follow him everywhere he went and this was no different. Right now, all he needed to do was reach the nearby town and hope that his presence as a dhampir would not cause too much of the trouble he witnessed all to often.


End file.
